Question

What are some common stereotypes regarding Asian Americans? How might these stereotypes impede the counseling process for both the counselor and the client?

Answer 1

Some of the common stereotypes regarding the Asian Americans are that they are potentially only good in quantitative tasks such as Math operations. It is automatically assumed that Asian Americans are no very capable of performing at leadership positions. Asian parents are known to pester for higher academic achievements than parents of another race/colour. Academic success is therefore of primary importance at their end. This also means that during counselling process the stereotypes which automatically create a preliminary picture in the mind of a clinician are likely to impact the process of work per se. In case of a client, it may be the fear of being judged that may impede the process or for a counsellor it may the stereotypes and personal judgment in itself that restrict the work or take it in a different direction. As a clinician, it is essential to keep personal biases aside while attempting to help a client. Third person perspective is essential therefore to give a more objective outlook for looking at things. In order to keep these aside, it is essential that these biases are first acknowledged and then worked upon by both the client and counsellor in order to prohibit them from affecting their nature of work.